The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
NEW YORK | Xinhua | The guilty verdict of former U.S. President Donald Trump, in the midst of his presidential campaign, is unlikely to lead to a big share of his supporters changing their votes in the upcoming general election, according to poll results and voters.
Trump was found guilty in the hush money trial in New York Thursday on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a bid to hide hush money payment to a porn star in 2016, shortly before the presidential election.
Still, even a loss of supporters by a few percentage points is enough to swing the results in the presidential election this November.
Polls showed that staunch Republicans will not be swayed by the result of the trial. Prior to the verdict, National Public Radio conducted a survey regarding the impact of a guilty ruling on voters. The survey showed that 67 percent stated that a guilty verdict would not impact their vote, while 17 percent said it would make them less likely to vote for Trump.
Meanwhile, 15 percent said they would be more likely to vote for Trump if he was found guilty. That could be in response to Trump supporters viewing the trial as a political attack, with Trump himself calling it “rigged” and a “scam.”
According to Republican strategist David Oman, the United States is in for a divisive several months following the trial. Speaking with KCCI News in Iowa, Oman said that for some, the trial proves that the justice system works, but for others, it may be used “as a rallying cry … something to heat up the campaign.”
It’s sad that the hush money trial itself exists in the first place and has nothing to do with politics, according to Ann, a lifelong Republican in Raleigh, North Carolina, who declined to disclose her full name.
Ann, 60, said on Friday that Trump’s policies better suit the country and she does not consider the trial an influential factor in voting, nor Trump’s political persona.
Ann told Xinhua that she chooses to focus on the Republican Party’s views on military funding and border control.
An ABC News poll, released on May 5, showed similar findings, with as much as 80 percent of his existing supporters saying they would continue to vote for Trump if he was found guilty, and only 4 percent saying they would no longer give their support.
Conner, 25, who voted for Trump in the past election, told Xinhua on Friday that he would continue to do so this year, citing laws passed and Supreme Court justices under Trump’s presidency as some of the reasons.
Studying in Florida, Conner said while he followed the trial online, the result hardly affects his decision.
“Trump’s kind of refreshingly real, and for better or for worse, he’s very flawed, but he’s very real. And it feels … it’s just nice to have that honesty,” said Conner, who also refrained from giving his full name.
In comparison to his main challenger, U.S. President Joe Biden, public surveys showed that voters favor Trump in terms of mental sharpness and physical health, with 81 percent of respondents saying Biden is too old for another presidential term.
The former president gave a speech at Trump Tower in New York City Friday morning, denouncing the results of the trial and criticizing those involved, including Judge Juan Merchan.
Following the conviction, Trump is the first U.S. former president to become a felon. There are no rules in the country barring a candidate with criminal offenses to run for president, nor are there restrictions against an impeached president.
The judge has scheduled Trump’s sentencing for July 11, days before the Republican Party is scheduled to formally nominate Trump for president ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
Trump ended his speech on Friday by suggesting that a real verdict will be decided on Election Day, declaring, “Remember, November 5 is the most important day in the history of our country.” ■
